Tuesday, February 16, 2016

I’m
excited to be on Maggie’s blog! I’m also excited to share an excerpt of
my new release, DESIRE IN THE ARCTIC. I hope people love reading about a
cold climate that, due to the hero and heroine’s attraction to each
other, gets very steamy.

This
is the first time I’ve ever written a sequel. (DESIRE IN THE EVERGLADES
is the first book.) I wanted ARCTIC to be sufficiently stand-alone that
a reader would not be lost or confused if they had not read EVERGLADES.
The tricky part was coming up with new characters that were as strong
(and fun) as the old.

Did my efforts pay off? Read ahead and let me know!

Book blurb

Ana
Davis has been given the promotion of the century—from secretary to
television producer. But the new job is not without its problems.

The network will do anything
for ratings. In the executive’s scramble to come out on top, they
reveal Ana’s newest show—one she’s forced to star in herself. She’ll
have to survive in the Arctic Circle for twelve days. If she wins,
she’ll get the prize money she desperately needs. But the stakes are
high, she could lose her very life. Good thing she’s been paired with
expert survivalist William “Redd” Redding, a mysterious, solitary and
very sexy man. Too bad she thinks he doesn’t even want to talk to her.

William
“Redd” Redding is a former Special Ops Marine in need of cash to help a
cause near and dear to his heart. What he’s not in need of, however, is
Ana Davis—his clueless but captivating partner. It’s up to Redd to
ensure the two of them survive in the most dangerous, hostile
environment of all. But worse than snowstorms, predators, and a scarcity
of food is an even greater danger—Ana. Resisting her, when he wants her
more than anything, is his hardest challenge yet. How does he go about
protecting her when his ultimate goal is to protect his heart?

Excerpt

“I’m
not into surprises, Ana,” Redd said gruffly. “Not when our lives are on
the line. Do you have any survival skills or don’t you? I’ve got to
know exactly what I’m dealing with.”

“I-I’m
sorry,” Ana stuttered, although she wasn’t sure what she was
apologizing for. Her slow response, or for not being somebody better?

“Just
level with me, okay?” he said again, gentler this time. “I won’t be
mad. Panicked, maybe. But not mad. At least not mad at you.” He managed
to give her a small smile. She wished to God it was sincere.

“All right, I’ll level. But I hope you won’t be too upset. I don’t have any survival skills at all.”

“None at all,” he repeated tonelessly.

“Well, no. I grew up in Brooklyn. The show wants me to say I’m from Manhattan but you said you want me to be honest.”

“Have you at least gone camping before?”

“Yes!”

“Great.” He exhaled hard, his expression showing relief. “How often do you go?”

“I’ve only been once, actually. But that still counts, right?”

“That depends,” he said, looking as if he had a sudden, severe headache.

“I
went during summer camp, right after seventh grade. My whole bunk slept
outside. It was fun. The counselors even let us roast a whole bag of
marshmallows.”

She could have sworn she heard him swallow. It was almost as if he was choking on one of those marshmallows.

“Any hiking experience?” he asked weakly.

Be engaging, Ana. Don’t look so scared. Crack a joke or something. She managed a playful smile. “Close. I’ve told people to take a hike.”

He bit down on his lip. It looked like he was in pain. “Fishing?”

“No.
The closest I’ve gotten to fishing is picking up jars of herring from
the supermarket.” Taking one look at his ashen expression, she added,
“I’m a fast learner though. If you teach me how to do these things, I’ll
catch on quick. I even managed to learn a whole lot about wilderness
survival before I came up here.”

“I think I need a beer,” he said, abruptly changing the topic.

“I can get you one, if you want.” Ana felt her face go hot.

When
he stepped away, she put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. “Look,
I’m sorry I’m not what you wanted in a partner,” she said quietly. “I
kinda got forced into this. With no notice for me to prepare.”

He
swallowed again, seemingly making a determined effort to soften his
countenance. “I’m sure you’ll do fine. Just do what I tell you, and
we’ll get through this ordeal as best as we can.” His face was so
scrunched up now he could have been a shar-pei puppy. “How’d they force
you?”

“I’m their newest producer. I don’t have much track record yet, so . . .”

“That explains it.”

AUTHOR BIO

Stacy
Hoff is a contemporary romance author, as well as an attorney. She has
practiced law for two decades, primarily handling contracts. Romance
novels have always been her secret passion. She writes her romantic
stories until the wee hours of the night. Stacy lives in New England
with her husband and two boys.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

I am thrilled to have Mandi on my blog today telling us about her new release. I have to say I have always wanted to go to Italy.

BLURB:To Rome with Love

When Gaby Conte’s Italian husband, Danieli, abandons her
for a young Peruvian waitress at a restaurant they co-own in San Francisco,
Gaby seeks refuge in Rome with her best friend Maria. There, she swears off
romance for a long while and Italian men forever.

That’s until she meets Silvio, who belongs to an old, aristocratic Roman family
and lives in a palace alongside the best private art collection in Rome.
Silvio, who is the cousin of Maria’s husband, is going through his own divorce.
He’s gorgeous, of course, which Gaby doesn’t tell him. And arrogant and
condescending, which she does. The last thing Gaby needs is more Italian
trouble, but the attraction is instant and powerful, and against the backdrop
of one of the world’s most romantic cities, both try—and fail—to resist the
chemistry between them.

But both Gaby and Silvio have made a rule never to make the mistake of trusting
in love again. Will they realize some rules are made just to be broken?

BIO:

Mandi Benet grew up in England and published her first
piece of fiction when she was twelve. She has been scribbling away ever since
as an award-winning journalist— covering everything from the Democratic
Convention to the Oscars for major American national newspapers and magazines —
and as an author, writing women’s fiction and contemporary romance with rich,
original characters. Mandi is a member of
RWA National and the San Francisco branch of RWA.

Pages

About Maggie

Maggie is a writer of paranormal and contemporary romance. She lives in Adelaide, Australia and is a member of Romance Writers of Australia, and the local chapter SARA(South Australian Romance Authors). She hasa Bachelor of Arts in Drama, English and Creative Writing atFlinders University. She had a short story published in theRWA Topaz Anthology Little Gems in 2010 called Sea andVines. She has six books out with Rogue Phoenix Press. She also has four paranormal romances with Soul Mate Publishing. She is also published in contemporary romance with Evernight Publishing.

She has also performed for many years in corporateentertainment for which she wrote her own sketches, whichprobably explains why her head is so full of characters. Sheloves writing romance but thinks falling in love can be scary,especially in her stories where creatures of the night really exist.